UTGame.ini or Custom.ini?

[KewlAzMe]

Which is preferred? Do people prefer having a separate ini file for each mutator? or would they just like everything to go into their UTGame.ini file?

Or would it be better if everyone put their stuff in a mutator.ini file (but that would require every mod maker to agree to do that)

Separate ini's are good for when removing or quickly locating the parameters for editing, combined ini in UTGame.ini is nice because it keeps it all under one file, but if you have to reinstall you could lose all your settings. A separate mutator.ini file would be best so you could just back up that file, but Epic didn't plant that seed.

So I'll leave it up to the poll.

[Lotus]

In 2k3/4 the problem was that if you saved to a separate ini file, you couldn't configure it to have a unique setup for each server when multiple were running on the same installation.

I had numerous people request that the configuration go back in the ut2004.ini so that they could run multiple servers w/ different settings.

So, if this is still the case in ut3 and you expect people might want to use different settings per server you are probably going to want to just stay with the default ini.

If the only settings are for clients, I'd say just make your own config file.

[KewlAzMe]

In 2k3/4 the problem was that if you saved to a separate ini file, you couldn't configure it to have a unique setup for each server when multiple were running on the same installation.

I had numerous people request that it go back in ut2004.ini so that they could run multiple servers w/ different settings.

So, if this is still the case in ut3 and you expect people might want to use different settings per server you are probably going to want to just stay with the default ini.

Ooh great thought! I hadn't even thought about that and that IS something that has affected me before. It does look like UT3 follows the same structure so that would most likely be the same problem.

[Shambler]

In 2k3/4 the problem was that if you saved to a separate ini file, you couldn't configure it to have a unique setup for each server when multiple were running on the same installation.

I had numerous people request that the configuration go back in the ut2004.ini so that they could run multiple servers w/ different settings.

So, if this is still the case in ut3 and you expect people might want to use different settings per server you are probably going to want to just stay with the default ini.

If the only settings are for clients, I'd say just make your own config file.

In a couple of my mutators for the Titan server I allowed both: I used a 'perobjectconfig' class to store named configuration profiles for my mutators in a custom .ini file, and you could (optionally) specify which config profile you wanted the mutator to use through UT2004.ini (or just not change anything and instead let it use the default config profile).

Admittedly, it was a bit complicated; but it worked fine.


I haven't yet checked if the same can be done in UT3, as I haven't started coding any mutators/tools yet.

[Lotus]

In a couple of my mutators for the Titan server I allowed both: I used a 'perobjectconfig' class to store named configuration profiles for my mutators, and you could (optionally) specify which config profile you want the mutator to use through UT2004.ini (or just not change anything and instead let it use the default config profile).

Admittedly, it was a bit complicated; but it worked fine.

Yeah, that could work and has the neat side effect of allowing you to include a bunch of default setups which could be very cooll. The only problem there is the idea of forcing a user to screw around with multiple files. In my experience almost noone bothered reading the readme when they had a problem, so you might just end up with a bunch of confused users.

[Shambler]

Yeah, that could work and has the neat side effect of allowing you to include a bunch of default setups which could be very cooll. The only problem there is the idea of forcing a user to screw around with multiple files. In my experience almost noone bothered reading the readme when they had a problem, so you might just end up with a bunch of confused users.

lol yes indeed, maybe this time around I will try and create a webadmin page to do profile creation/selection (whenever the webadmin patch is released).

[ne_skaju]

"AllMutators" ini could be good for small mutators and "CustomMutName" ini for mutator with huge amount of settings (example: UT2Vote, UTComp for UT2004)

[JaFO]

I'd recommend not modifying the official ini-files if you can help it.
That makes life easier for people that want to reset a mutators' settings or just get rid of the unused bits after a mutator is removed.

Servers shouldn't be an issue, because Epic followed Microsoft-guidelines and used the official "User\My Documents\..."-folder. If you've paid attention to the directory-names then you will see that it has the active user-accountname as part of the tree.
As a result using an alternate user-account for each server should result in separate profiles for every one of them.

[KewlAzMe]

I'd recommend not modifying the official ini-files if you can help it.
That makes life easier for people that want to reset a mutators' settings or just get rid of the unused bits after a mutator is removed.

That's the main reason I would say separate.

Servers shouldn't be an issue, because Epic followed Microsoft-guidelines and used the official "User\My Documents\..."-folder. If you've paid attention to the directory-names then you will see that it has the active user-accountname as part of the tree.
As a result using an alternate user-account for each server should result in separate profiles for every one of them.

But A single user could run multiple Servers. For UT2004 and UT99 I had 2-4 servers going.. So in my server I would specify -INI=UT2004.INI or -INI=UT2004_LOWGRAV.INI, etc.

So that is good reason to put it into the UTGame.ini file if you don't want MyMut running on Both servers with the same settings. You might want Multijump to have 10 max jumps on one and 100 max on the other.

[JaFO]

If you want them to have the same profile then you would indeed use the same user.
However by using a different user per server you get exactly what you want : different profiles per server ...

[MonsOlympus]

/**
 * This function can be used to parse the command line parameters when a server
 * starts up
 */

function InitMutator(string Options, out string ErrorMessage)
{
	if (NextMutator != None)
	{
		NextMutator.InitMutator(Options, ErrorMessage);
	}
}

Think this is a new one in UT3, been putting mine all in its own ini since its already rather long just for a small mutator pack. Personally I would recommend to people to put their muts together in packs to keep ini settings for that set in one common *.ini which is why I went the way I did so I didnt need a *.ini per *.u. Then again theres nothing saying you cant use the same config(ini) in all your *.u's to keep them together.

Passing options can be done via batch or something, whatever the server admins use to execute the game then they can do $mutator=suchandsuch and the options. Not sure entirely how it works yet but its certainly cleaner than messing up UTGame.ini since its already larger than most of the uscript classes in file size.

I can understand what people are saying about easier server configuration but hey I prefer not to mess up epics ini's because in 2k4 Ive seen first hand what the joys of doing that does to the mod directory and other mods, actually breaking them fairly badly in somecases.

Im inclined to add options to the command line for the server if need be then it shouldnt matter what the config file says if its overriden, as I said Im still not sure on the details

[KewlAzMe]

If you want them to have the same profile then you would indeed use the same user.
However by using a different user per server you get exactly what you want : different profiles per server ...

So what are you saying? You can't login to your PC as UserA, start a server, then log out and log in as UserB and start another server. Unless you set them up as a service to run on the system account.

Or do you mean use a different user/pass for the UT3 server.. but that doesn't work either as the file system is based on Windows User accounts. It would have been smarter if they somehow made a My Docs/My Games/Unreal Tournament 3/<ut3profile>/UTGame. But the only profile stuff for me that uses my ut3 profile name is in the savedata folder which is already too deep in the windows location.

-EDIT- thnkin about that further, that wouldn't work either as diff windows account will have a diff My Docs folder. They should have kept it on a static place, external to the Game folder, but on the same drive.. and perhaps on the same root level. then they could use their own profiling system.

Like
X:\Games\UT3 -->Game folder
X:\Games\UT3Local\<UT3Profile>\UTGame\ -->user folder for custom content.

I'm also realizing that by Epic using the My Docs folder, you to have duplicate copies of code.. if you install a tc or mod for UserA..UserB has to make a copy of that mod folder in his own directory.. which starts to get a bit silly in reality.. not sure how that one is going to play out for large mods

[MonsOlympus]

I think stuff works if you put it in the published folder in the installation directory as well! Running under alternate credentials might be a bit much as Im fairly sure running 2 servers under 1 user would be better on memory, that way there is only 1 set of services running. Then again I dunno if its possible to start two like that but I dunno why it would be a problem

[KewlAzMe]

I think stuff works if you put it in the published folder in the installation directory as well! Running under alternate credentials might be a bit much as Im fairly sure running 2 servers under 1 user would be better on memory, that way there is only 1 set of services running. Then again I dunno if its possible to start two like that but I dunno why it would be a problem

Right... it does work if installed to the game directory.. but then that pretty much defeats the whole point of Epic using the my docs directory.... except for the personal configuration stuff like keybinds and resolutions.

Quite the conundrum M$ created with their not-perfect-for-every-application design and Epic's use of it.

Currently the parameter passing through the command line seems to be the best option.

[MonsOlympus]

Just an update, seen this:

- Added -configsubdir= command line option to cause .ini files to be loaded/saved from the specified subdirectory of Game\Config\

On this link to the beta 4 changelog http://utforums.epicgames.com/showthread.php?t=591187

Should clear up any remaining problems with not using UTGame.ini as the default for your mutator hey?

[KewlAzMe]

ah! good find! Problem solved